As I sat down to write this post, I was reminded of the ridiculousness that was ME when I was preggers. I was not the ‘wait & buy it later’ kind of gal. I was the ‘got to have it NOW and might as well have FIVE in case I need them all’ kind…jeez. If only I knew then what I know now…and that is that baby carriers are not perfect. You have to try before you buy. And just because Angelina used one, that doesn’t mean it’s the perfect one for me. And good grief, you sure as heck don’t need five. Even if they are half price on babysteals.com.
Below you’ll find pictures I dug up of four of them. The only one I bought & never used was the Petunia Pickle Bottom Sojourn Sling. I forgot I had it. [shocker] And, of course, just because my experience is good or bad doesn’t mean one I did not like won’t work for you.
What you should know is that I am 5’3″ and I am busty, so right from the start, that affects how these fit me. I am broad shouldered (thank you years of swimming) and I have fairly small hips. So, that most certainly factors into how these fit my body. It’s important to know that your figure does make a huge difference in how they function.
- used ages: newborn-8 mos
- used to: walk down the street to get the mail, both in the position above & as a hip carrier
- dislikes: not comfortable for more than 10 minutes. my baby did not like it.
- likes: easy to put on. cute fabric.
- picture above: caroline @ 3wks old. :) I carried her down to the mailbox.
- used ages: newborn-8 mos
- used to: fly & get through airport security, run quick errands
- dislikes: hot, particularly in our south Texas weather. not the easiest to get on quickly, at first. (there are a bunch of youtube videos that help you get the hang of it & once you do, it’s like riding a bike. but it is still not a quick thing to get on.) I also found it difficult to get it on in public without fabric touching the floor.
- likes: this is my preferred carrier for a child up to 6 months. very easy to get both me & baby comfortable. can wear for long periods of time with no back discomfort. perfect for flying, as I did not have to remove it, or baby, when going through security. I did have to remove her for take-off, but then I put her back in & she snuggled up & slept, covered, while flying at 5 mos.
- picture above: caroline @ 5mos, flying back to CA
- used ages: 3-6 mos
- used to: run quick errands & at doctors appointments
- dislikes: not comfortable on my back for more than 45 minutes.
- likes: very easy on/off. compact.
- picture above: caroline @ 4mos, visiting daddy at the hospital
- used: 1yr+
- used to: fly (did not even bring stroller) & for all other everyday activities where a stroller was not appropriate
- dislikes: did not have it positioned correctly on my hips at first, so be sure positioning is low NOT high (on waist). I have the “performance” model which is lighter weight (great for our heat) and less bulky than the others. The straps lay flat on the shoulders as opposed to the other models that have somewhat bulky straps that I found bothersome when testing out in stores. So read this as “like” the performance model, “dislike” the other bulkier models.
- likes: I love the ergo. My daughter likes it. It is extremely comfortable for me. I just recently purchased (after asking a question about it on facebook & getting over 30 positive votes of confidence) and will use it much earlier next time, as there is an infant insert that will allow me to use it when she is tiny.
- picture above: caroline @ 13mos, strolling around downtown Walnut Creek.
I am sure there are a quite a few other carriers out there that you may have has good & not so good experiences with. Would you share? Do you love any of the ones above? Is there another I should know about? I’d love your feedback. :)
Also, I am going to be ebay-ing my Peanut Shell, PPB Sojourn & Belle Carriers. They are all in perfect condition & I think I even have the original packaging for all of them. If you are interested, let me know & we’ll chat before I list them.